Door operating means



April 1969 H. E. PEELLE, JR. ETAL 3,436,863

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NS Filed Feb. 16, 1967 l2 m m HENRY E. PEELLE, JR. PAULR. 0056 BY ANGELO M VACCARO M/i m/Iy, Fa/nky/M, Pear/1e 6 60/40INVENTORS.

A T TORNE YS April 1969 H. E. PEELLE, JR, ETAL 3,436,863

DOOR OPERATING MEANS Sheet Filed Feb. 16, 1967 INVENTORS.

R J 0 M E R M L M 0 L 6 A 6 REV e 0. n .DM w E R P R & 4 www w HPA Q m a6 M ATTORNEYS April 1969 H. E. PEELLE, JR, ETAL 3,436,863

DOOR OPERATING MEANS Filed Feb. 16, 1967 Sheet 3 of 3 wi l! INVENTORS.

HENRY E. PEELLE, JR PAUL R. 0056 BY ANGELO M. VACCARO Mai army,Fam'ny/o/r, Pear/re 5 Garcia/r ATTORNEYS US. Cl. 49-362 4 Claims ABSCTOF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for opening and closing a door panelwhich covers an aperture in a Wall and which moves in a plane parallelto the plane of the wall. The motor and linkage elements for moving thedoor are substantially entirely located within a false lintel whichcomprises a portion of the wall opening.

Background of the invention This invention realtes to a door assemblyand, more particularly, to a motor-actuated door for hatch openings. Theinvention is particularly suitable for operating the doors which coverrelatively small openings such as hatchways for dumbwaiter installationsand pass-through openings in a conveyor line. Separate motor and linkagearrangements are provided for each opening.

In prior art installations, dumbwaiter and pass-through conveyor doorsare usually manually operated, since such doors are small and have lowinertia. In many applications manually operated doors are suitable, butin many other instances it is highly desirable or necessary to providemotor-operated doors in installations where the operator has both handsotherwise occupied. Furthermore, motor-operated doors are necessary inautomated conveying applications or where fire conditions and fireratings are such that self-closing is required by means other thanover-balance weights applied through release of a fusible fire link.

It has been proposed to provide power-operated dumbwaiter orpass-through doors by locating the motor and linkage mechanisms withinthe elevator hatch or on one side of the passthrough door opening. Sucharrangements, however, are difficult to install and service, since it isnecessary to perform installation and service operations within thehatch. Such operations are ditficult, since there is no car plat-form towork from, as would be found in large freight or passenger elevatorinstallations.

Summary This invention overcomes many of these prior art problems,particularly those problems relating to the installation and servicingof motorized door operating mechanisms. The invention contemplateslocating the motor and linkage elements for operating a vertically orlaterally slidable door substantially entirely Within the area of thewall opening so that such elements may be installed and serviced fromthe room side of the installation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the door operatingmechanisms are located substantially entirely within a false lintelwhich extends across the door opening.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is an elevational view of abi-parting type door employing a door operating mechanism according toone aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of the door illustrated inFIG. 1, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 22 in FIG.1.

rate t 3,43,853 Patented Apr. 8, 1969 Description of the preferredembodiment Referring now to the drawings, a bi-parting door assembly 10is illustrated. The door assembly 10 includes a pair of counterbalanced,vertically movable, bi-parting doors 11 and 12. The doors 11 and 12 aremounted for movement within a pair of U-shaped guide members 13 and 14(FIG. 3). The guide members 13 and 14 are respectively mounted on a pairof side frame members 15 and 16. The side frame members 15 and 16respectively cover the vertical faces 17 and 18 of an opening in a Wall20. The opening in the wall 20 is further defined by top and bottomfaces 21 and 22. which are respectively covered by horizontal framemembers 23 and 24. In an assembly employing a dumbwaiter elevator andwherein the opening in the wall 20 defines an access opening between aroom and the elevator hatch or shaft, the guide rails 13 and 14, andtherefore the doors 11 and 12, are mounted on the hatch or shaft side ofthe wall 20. A dumbwaiter elevator (not shown) would be mounted forvertical movement to clear the doors 11 and 12 during its travel in thehatchway.

A false lintel 25 extends across the upper portion of the openingdefined by the side frame members 15 and 16 and by horizontal framemember 23. The false lintel 25 has a width which substantiallycorresponds to the thickness of the Wall 20 and the false lintel 25provides a shroud for a door operating mechanism which will now bedescribed. A reversible motor 26 is supported by a bracket 27 which isfixed to an L-shaped hanger 28. The hanger 28 is fixed to a supportplate 29 by bolts 30 which extend through the horizontal frame member23. The motor 26 is connected to a reduction gear box 19 and the gearbox 19 has an output drive shaft 31 which extends through an opening 32in the bracket 28 and into a gear housing 33. The gear housing 33 isprovided in the side frame member 16.

The end of the drive shaft 31 is provided with a spur gear 34 which isin driving engagement with a pinion gear 35. The pinion gear 35 ispartially housed Within the gear box 33, but has a portion which extendsthrough an opening 36 in the gear box 33 and through an opening 37 inthe U-shaped guide member 14. The peripheral portion of the pinion gear35, which extends through the openings 36 and 37, engages a rack 38which is mounted along one vertical side of the door 11.

The pinion gear 35 is pinned to a hub 39 which is mounted for rotationin a bearing sleeve 40. The bearing sleeve 40 is fixed to the end of thebracket 28. The hub 39 extends through the bearing and has anon-circular socket 41 which receives a drive shaft 42. The drive shaft42 has a cross section which in the illustrated embodiment is square.The other end of the drive shaft 42 is received in a socket 43 which isprovided in a hub 44. A spring 45 is provided in the socket 43 andbiases the drive shaft to the right, as viewed in the drawings, and thedrive shaft may be removed by axially displacing the shaft to the leftagainst the bias of the spring 45 until the other end of the shaft 42clears the socket 41.

The hub 44 is mounted for rotation in a bearing 46 which, in turn, ismounted on the lower end of a bracket 47. The bracket 47 is fixed to thesupport plate 29 by bolts 49 which extend through the horizontal framemember 23. A pinion gear 50 is fixed to the end of the hub 44. Thepinion gear 50 is substantially completely housed within a gear housing51 which, in turn, is mounted within the side frame member 15. Anopening 52 is provided in the side frame member 16 and in the guidetrack 13. A portion of the periphery of the pinion gear 50 extendsthrough the opening 52 and engages a rack 53 which is vertically mountedalong one side of the door 11.

The door 11 may be raised by causing the reversible motor 26 to drivethe pinion gears and in a direction which will move the racks 38 and 53,and therefore the door 11, upwardly within the guide tracks 13 and 14.The motor 26 may be so actuated by pushing an up bottom (not shown).Similarly, the door 11 may be lowered by causing the motor 26 to reverseits direction to thereby drive the pinion gears 35 and 50 in a directionwhich will permit the racks 38 and 53, and therefore the door 11, tomove downwardly. This may be accomplished by providing a down button(not shown) as a switch control for such a function of the motor 26.

The drive shaft 42 is provided with a cam drive gear which is fixed to amiddle portion of the shaft 42. Au internally threaded member 57 ismounted on the drive gear 55. The member 57 is provided with an internalthread 58 which cooperates with a cam groove 59 on the drive gear 55.The member 57 carries a cam 60 and the cam 60 extends into a control box61 through an elongated aperture 62 which extends in a direction whichis parallel to the shaft 42. As the drive shaft is rotated in thedirections previously indicated, the member 57, and therefore the cam60, will move along aperture 62, since the aperture 62 prevents rotationof the member 57 with the drive gear 56.

As the door 11 is raised by the motor 26 and by the pinion gears 35 and50, the cam 60 will move to the left, as viewed in FIG. 4, until itengages and closes a limit switch 61 which de-energizes the motor 26. Alimit switch 61 is prepositioned relative to the cam 60 so that themotor 26 is de-energized when the door 11 is fully opened. Similarly, asthe door 11 is closed by the motor 26 and the pinion gears 35 and 50,the cam 60 will move to the right, as viewed in FIG. 4, until the cam 60engages and closes a limit switch 62 to thereby de-energize the motor26. The limit switch 62 is pre-positioned relative to the cam 50 so thatthe switch 62 is closed by the cam 50 when the door 11 reaches its fullyclosed position.

As the door 11 is raised and lowered, the door 12 is correspondinglylowered and raised in the following manner. Sheaves 63 and 64 arerespectively provided on the guide tracks 13 and 14. Each sheave 63 and64 drives a chain 65 and 66 respectively and each chain 65 and 66 isconnected at one end to a lower portion of the door 11 and at its otherend to an upper portion of the door 12. The weight of the door 11 isslightly greater than that of the door 12 so that the door 12 acts as acounterweight for the door 11 and moves in a direction which is oppositeto that of the door 11 as the door 11 is raised or lowered.

The gear ratio between the spur gear 34 and the pinion gear 35 is suchthat the motor 26 may be easily stalled if an object is accidentallyinserted between the doors 11 and 12 during closure. The motor 26 may beprovided with an overload cutoff (not shown) in the event that it isstalled in this manner. Moreover, the gear ratio between the spur gear34 and the pinion gear 35 is such that the doors 11 and 12 may bemanually operated when the motor 26 is not energized.

The door operating mechanisms are substantially entirely enclosed withina shroud which comprises the false lintel 25. The false lintel 25 isL-shaped and has a front face 71 and a bottom face 72. The front face 71has an inwardly turned lip 73 which slips under the horizontal framemember 23. The lip 73 is provided with slots (not shown) which engage apair of guide pins 75 which extend downwardly from the plate 29. Thebottom face 72 of the lintel is bolted to end plates 76 which extendoutwardly from each gear housing 33 and 51. Thus, the false lintel 70may be easily removed from the assembly 10 to permit ready access to thedoor operating components.

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of the detailsset forth above. Obviously, devices may be provided which change,eliminate, or add certain details without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A motorized door assembly receivable in a door opening formed in awall, which assembly comprises a relatively deep opening frame, at leastone relatively shallow, vertically sliding door panel, guide rails forthe door panel extending along a pair of hollow jamb members on a backside of the frame whereby the door panel may move vertically along saidback side of the frame and is deeply inset from a front side of theframe, a powered door operating mechanism built in the head of theopening frame and completely within the frame outline, a false lintelextending along a true lintel of the frame between the hollow jambmembers and concealing the door operating mechanism, the false lintelbeing at least partly removable from said front side of the frame toallow easy access to the operating mechanism for adjustment andmaintenance from said front side of the frame, said door operatingmechanism including drive pinion means within at least one of the hollowjamb members and mounted on a horizontal shaft extending between thehollow jamb members within the false lintel, rack means on the doorpanel engaged by the drive pinion means, and a motor within the falselintel for driving the pinion means, the shaft, and the rack means.

2. A motorized door assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the motorhas a shaft which is positively linked in driving engagement with therack means on the door panel through a linkage which includes theforegoing shaft and pinion means, the torque of said motor shaft and thegear reduction from said motor to said rack means being such that theenergized motor may be stallable by manual restraint of the door panel,and the deenergized motor is readily rotatable by manual shifting of thedoor.

3. A motorized door assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said motorshaft is parallel to the horizontal shaft and wherein said linkageconsists of said pinion means and a spur gear on the motor shaftengaging said pinion means.

4. A motorized door assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said motorcontrol means includes a pair of limit switches for sensing fully openand fully closed conditions of the door, and reciprocating limit switchcamming means driven by threaded engagement with means carried on saidhorizontal shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,577 5/1942 Roby 492652,531,116 11/1950 Donoghue 49361 X 2,791,420 5/1957 Provost 49--l183,039,764 6/1962 Heinsman et al. 49334 X 3,237,932 3/1966 Catlett 493343,330,071 7/1967 Kubisiak 49- 562.

DAVID J. VVILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

J. KARL BELL, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 49-504; 187-52

